It seems like we’ve been here a month already and still haven’t played a game.

Spartanburg Methodist got our here to Hutchinson, Kan., on Saturday for the NJCAA tournament. I got here on Sunday morning. And it won’t be until noon Wednesday when the Pioneers finally get to take the court.

“We’re getting really eager,” SMC head coach Jeff Brookman said. “Teams started playing Monday and it was real tough to just wait and wait.”

How have they been spending the time?

“It seems like all we do is eat,” Brookman said. “We eat, sleep and watch basketball.”

“Yeah,” SMC sophomore Jalen Nesbitt said. “That’s the life.”

… ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE places to eat is a place called Freddy’s. It a hamburger/hot dog joint that also specializes in frozen custard.

I thought I’d try it out Tuesday afternoon and while I was waiting for my carry-out order, the SMC team filed in. Point guard Travis Black gave me the thumbs-up.

Maybe because I’m missing South Carolina a little bit, I ordered a chili dog and a sweet tea. Yes, they had sweat tea. I didn’t understand why they gave me a knife and fork for a hot dog until I go to my room. The hot dog is so loaded that you can’t possibly pick it up.

I won’t eat anywhere else while I’m here and I’m hoping SMC makes it all the way to the Saturday championship.

… THE COMMUNITY lost its local rooting interest Tuesday night when fourth-seeded Hutchinson Community College was upset by Howard College of Texas, 92-69.

There were nearly 8,000 people in the sold-out arena and they all left disappointed. Jacob Thomas, a sophomore from Minneapolis, made nine 3-pointers and scored 31. He was 0-for-6 on threes in Howard’s first game but it seemed like he couldn’t miss in the second.

Honestly, though, people here in Hutchinson don’t really need HCC to play in order to be interested in the tournament. They come to watch the 10 a.m. games involving teams that have never been here. HCC hadn’t been in the tournament on it home floor since 1997.

The semi-local team remaining is Coffeyville. That’s likely the team SMC would play if it gets past Kilgore (Texas) College on Wednesday.

… SOME OF THE TEAMS, including USC Salkehatchie in Walterboro, had 20-plus-hour bus rides. That’s a long trip, especially when it’s a one-and-done tournament.

As far as I know, SMC is the only team that got here by airplane. The college took care of the bill. There is no help from the NJCAA on that.

“I haven’t heard of another team that flew,” Brookman said. “That was great. The college really supports us and all the teams who get to postseason. They really want to make it a great experience.”

About This Blog

Todd Shanesy is an award-winning sports writer who has been twice honored nationally by the Associated Press and more than three dozen times by the South Carolina Press Association. He is a native of Troy, Ohio, and studied journalism at Marshall University (1987 graduate). Shanesy is a former sports editor of the Florence (S.C.) Morning News and has been with the Spartanburg Herald-Journal since 1991.

Follow him two ways on Twitter: @ToddShanesySHJ and @TerrierTracker (for everything Wofford-related).